China health authorities have started a nationwide inspection of vaccinations four months after a scandal broke involving nearly $90 million worth of illegal vaccines that were suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces. Vaccines, including ones against meningitis, rabies and other illnesses, were suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces around China since 2011 till April when the scandal broke. The case, involving millions of illegal trades of vaccines through a black market drugs ring, has ignited public ire and underscored regulatory weaknesses in the world’s second largest pharmaceuticals market. Random checks will be conducted at 20 percent of hospitals and clinics providing vaccinations, while all disease control and prevention agencies nationwide will be inspected, it said. Watch Video: What’s making newsIn March, authorities pledged to crack down on the black market sale of vaccines after a mother and daughter in Shandong province were found to have illegally bought vaccines from traders and sold on to hundreds of re-sellers around China.

Source: Indian Express July 23, 2016 03:21 UTC